This invention relates to a linear actuator for carrying read/write heads into engagement with a recording medium and more particularly to a linear actuator which has an elongated rear bearing which compensates for minor misalignment of the recording medium plane with respect to the axis of the actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,607 and pending application Ser. No. 08/727,128 filed Oct. 8, 1996, "Actuator for Data Storage Device", Jones, et al. show a linear actuator for a removable media magnetic disk drive. Such drives are commonly referred to as ZIP.TM. drives made by Iomega Corporation.
In these drives a linear actuator carries magnetic heads into engagement with a floppy disk. The carriage which carries the magnetic heads travels on a central guide track which is on the axis of the actuator. This alignment of the plane of the floppy disk with respect to the actuator axis is important. Misalignment of the heads with respect to the tracks on the disk may cause read/write problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a linear actuator which obviates the foregoing problem.
The actuator of the ZIP.TM. drive has been modified to make the actuator smaller so that it can be used, for example, in lap top computers. The smaller sized actuator is described in, copending application Ser. No. 08/866,168, "Combination/Bearing Flexure For Friction Reduction and Friction Linearization in Linear Actuator for Disk Drive", Nicklos, et al. and in other applications, which have been filed concurrently herewith.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved linear actuator which obviates the disk misalignment problem in drives of the ZIP.TM. type and in the smaller drives suitable for laptop computers.